Your guide to tax-free weekend

"We've hired additional team members because we anticipate high guest traffic. We want to make sure we're covered. We have a great team."

-Debbie Cortez, executive team leader for human resources at Target

"We're making sure we have enough staff available and are overstocking on jeans. We have tried to get a few more styles of plain colored Western shirts to compensate for school rules and are making sale preparations. We want to make sure that even some of our boots fall within the $100 limit for tax-free weekend."

-Bel Schoeneberg, manager at Cavender's Boot City

"We're opening an hour early for some of our regular guests. Also, right now we have more merchandise than ever before. The entire floor is packed with jeans, shirts, etc. I'm overrun with product. This is our biggest weekend of the year."

-Eric Trapp, manager at The Buckle

Did you know ... ?

Clothing and shoe rentals or leases do not qualify for tax-free status. So no, you cannot rent that wedding tuxedo. Rentals and leases of qualifying backpacks and school supplies - including "rent to own" deals - do qualify, however. Check the comptroller's website for more information.

Source: Texas state comptroller's office

Did you know ... ?

Texas' sales tax holiday used to be the first weekend of August. With House Bill 3310, the Legislature changed the date to the third week of August so that the holiday was closer to the beginning of the school year. The change was effective June 15, 2007.

Source: Texas state comptroller's office

Want to make the most of tax-free weekend? Here are a few shopper tips from store managers in the know:

The earlier you get to the store, the better. Although the entire weekend will be busy, you're more likely to miss the crowds early on.

Shopping late is another option. The busiest time to shop tends to be during the middle of the day.

Consider using layaway to make sure the item you want will be available during tax-free weekend. Not every store offers the service, so check beforehand.

Check your store's hours. Many locations open early or stay open later during the sales tax holiday.

Have a list prepared so you don't accidentally overlook items you need.

Pay attention to the prices. It's only the items that cost less than $100 that are tax free.